Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said he was pleased with the plan and execution of city crews during the first big snowstorm of his new administration.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said today he was pleased with the city’s plan and execution of how to handle the first really big snowstorm of his administration, saying that the city has learned lessons from the snowstorms of 2006 and 2007 that paralyzed the city.

Now, the city’s policy is whenever Denver receives 12 inches or more of snow accompanied by prolonged freezing temperatures, 4×4 plows are deployed to simultaneously clear residential, or neighborhood, streets. On Thursday night, the city sent out 126 of those trucks. Additionally, the city had 68 of its large plows working the main streets.

More than that, city officials consult with meteorologists days before flakes start to fly and develop a plan when the forecast calls for heavy snow and cold temps.

“I would hope we would have learned since 2006 and ’07, certainly Public Works is wiser,” Hancock said today outside of the Public Works Wastewater Management Building. “The planning began much earlier as our meteorologists start forecasting snow of this magnitude. We have learned an awful lot of lessons, and I think you see that today.”

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"You're toast."

It’s a good thing the legislature was closed today or who knows what drama — or phrase — would have come up.

Rep. Laura Bradford, stopped on suspicion of drunken driving but sent home in a cab by Denver police, is thinking of leaving the Republican Party she’s so mad about how she’s been treated by leadership over the incident.

She told The Denver Post she wanted to think about it during “windshield time,” a reference to her four-hour drive home to Mesa County. Now “windshield time” is Twitter fodder.

Bradford later told the Associated Press’ Ivan Moreno that when she told Speaker Frank McNulty about the traffic stop and what happened, he told her, “You’re toast.”

Said McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch: “It is quite possible that I said that if she’s not honest about what happened, and she doesn’t show remorse for what happened, that she would be toast.”

The legislature took a snow day today and many lawmakers cleared out early Thursday but a Senate committee hearing a bill related to “Obamacare” met into the evening.

The Democrat-controlled committee killed on a party-line vote, a bill that would have repealed the 2011 law setting up the Colorado Health Care Benefits Exchange, legislation sponsored by House Majority Leader Amy Stephens, R-Monument. Creating a health care benefits exchange is one of the key steps for states to implement the federal Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health care reform law opponents call “Obamacare.”

Critics have dubbed Stephens’ bill “Amycare.”

The repeal proposal was sponsored by Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, and Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, who took the unusual step of testifying in front of the committee. Critics said that was nothing more than campaigning.

Because of legislative redistricting, Looper and Stephens are now running against each other for the same House seat and are embroiled in a heated primary.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, is pushing to open up two million acres of public land to oil shale development. Those who live near there say they want to know more about the impacts of development.

WASHINGTON — Western Slope mayors and community leaders are fighting mad at Rep. Doug Lamborn.

The Colorado Springs Republican is pushing to open up land to oil shale development in their communities without taking into account local impacts, they say. In addition, Lamborn’s Pioneers Act — which mandates 125,000 acres of public land for oil shale development and exploration — gives local communities and the state lower royalty rates than traditional oil and gas leases.

“It’s not a good deal for us,” said Rifle Mayor Jay Miller, a Republican. “We’re not against oil shale or gas development here, we just want it done in a way that doesn’t drive us into the ground.”

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.